ART TEACHER GIRL'S, ART TEACHER FRIEND AND... MIRACLES

Where there is great love there are always miracles. Willa Cather

This quote was posted on facebook by one of my dear, sweet, much younger than me, art teacher friends. Her older sister, who is in her early 30s, has just had colon cancer surgery...yesterday. This sister also had her first baby a few months ago. My friend posted the quote in response to all of the love, prayers and thoughts poured out on facebook for her family during this frightening time. 

This is a bit of a side story,

but my heart is hurting for my sweet 

art teacher friend, 

and it helps to explain why her post 

touched me so much.

 

My friend and I grew up in the same hometown,

but several decades apart...sigh.

In fact, when I lived in my hometown, my art teacher friend was not even born yet. I did know her sister, however, and the rest of her family. In fact, I spent many happy days at her Grandmother's house. Her sister was around 5 when I married and moved away. When I met my art teacher friend for the first time, she was fresh out of college. I knew instantly she was from my hometown, just by her maiden name. 

We became fast friends in spite of our age difference. 

I have always had to remind myself that she is only a few years older than my son.  

We've helped each other with art projects, attended art conferences together, met each other for lunch, laughed, and  gossiped together as friends do.

She called me when she had her first born, and her second child. 

I have never seen her little girl because she moved back home, and though it is only a short ways off, time ,and work have interfered. 

She is now the art teacher at the high school where we both graduated from years apart. She replaced the art teacher who had been there for close to 35 years...he had been a student teacher in my art class way back in the 1970s. Though I miss her working in the same system with me, I am so proud she has such a fine position, especially now that she is home near her family.

Aging has many blessings...you get to see how things turn out 

along the way, 

and I love that about it.

The quote is beautiful, 

though I think she edited a word or two

from the original 

Willa Cather version, 

but the power is still there. 

This is a weaving my art teacher friend did, I believe she told me she did it in high school.

One version I found online replaced miracles with wishes. Whatever, the true quote the feeling is the same. We all have wishes for her sister and her family and the miracles are already appearing. 

For all the bad things you hear about in our world, there are good people, good friends and miracles to witness. It's up to us to bring the good to our lives. We can even use facebook as a tool for blessings, for loving our friends and sharing their sorrow.

Please pray for Macy, 

my art teacher friend;

 her sister, 

SuAnna;

their families, 

and

for miracles.